31/01/2022
Importance of Repentance in the Quran and Hadith
Quran:-
Then Adam was inspired with words ˹of prayer˺ by his Lord, so He accepted his repentance. Surely He is the Accepter of Repentance, Most Merciful. [2:37]
As for those who repent, mend their ways, and let the truth be known, they are the ones to whom I will turn ˹in forgiveness˺, for I am the Accepter of Repentance, Most Merciful. [2:160]
Surely Allah loves those who always turn to Him in repentance and those who purify themselves. [2:222]
As for those who repent afterwards and mend their ways, then surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [3:89]
The repentance accepted by Allah is only for those who do wrong in ignorance [or carelessness] and then repent soon [after]. It is those to whom Allah will turn in forgiveness, and Allah is ever Knowing and Wise. [4:17]
However, repentance is not accepted from those who knowingly persist in sin until they start dying, and then cry, “Now I repent!” nor those who die as disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful punishment. [4:18]
If you avoid the major sins which you are forbidden, We will remove from you your lesser sins and admit you to a noble entrance [into Paradise]. [4:31]
Whoever commits evil or wrongs themselves then seeks Allah’s forgiveness will certainly find Allah All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [4:110]
Will they not turn to Allah in repentance and seek His forgiveness? And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [5:74]
And seek your Lord’s forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance. He will grant you a good provision for an appointed term and graciously reward the doers of good. But if you turn away, then I truly fear for you the torment of a formidable Day. [11:3]
[O Muḥammad], inform My servants that it is I who am the Forgiving, the Merciful, [15:49]
As for those who commit evil ignorantly ˹or recklessly˺, then repent afterwards and mend their ways, then your Lord is surely All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [16:119]
our Lord is the All-Forgiving, Full of Mercy. If He were to seize them ˹immediately˺ for what they commit, He would have certainly hastened their punishment. But they have an appointed time, from which they will find no refuge. [18:58]
As for those who repent, believe, and do good deeds, they are the ones whose evil deeds Allah will change into good deeds. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. And whoever repents and does good has truly turned to Allah properly. [25:70-71]
˹They are˺ those who do not bear false witness, and when they come across falsehood, they pass ˹it˺ by with dignity. ˹They are˺ those who, when reminded of the revelation of their Lord, do not turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to it. ˹They are˺ those who pray, “Our Lord! Bless us with ˹pious˺ spouses and offspring who will be the joy of our hearts, and make us models for the righteous.” It is they who will be rewarded with ˹elevated˺ mansions ˹in Paradise˺ for their perseverance, and will be received with salutations and ˹greetings of˺ peace, staying there forever. What an excellent place to settle and reside! [25:72-76]
As for those who repent, believe, and do good ˹in this world˺, it is right to hope that they will be among the successful. [28:67]
˹O believers!˺ Always turn to Him ˹in repentance˺, be mindful of Him, and establish prayers. And do not be polytheists. [30:31]
Say, ˹O Prophet, that Allah says,˺ “O My servants who have exceeded the limits against their souls! Do not lose hope in Allah’s mercy, for Allah certainly forgives all sins. He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Turn to your Lord ˹in repentance˺, and ˹fully˺ submit to Him before the punishment reaches you, ˹for˺ then you will not be helped. [39:53-54]
He is the One Who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons ˹their˺ sins. And He knows whatever you do. [42:25]
Hadith:-
Narrated Abu Huraira: I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying." By Allah! I ask for forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day." [Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 80: Invocations, Hadith 4]
Narrated Anas bin Malik: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than anyone of you is pleased with finding his camel which he had lost in the desert. " [Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 80: Invocations, Hadith 6]
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant when he turns penitently towards Him than one of you would be on finding the lost camel. [Sahih Muslim, Book 50 Repentance, Hadith 2]
Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: When Allah created the creation as He was upon the Throne, He put down in His Book: Verily, My mercy predominates My wrath. [Sahih Muslim, Book 50: Repentance, Hadith 17]
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) having said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if you were not to commit sin, Allah would sweep you out of existence and He would replace (you by) those people who would commit sin and seek forgiveness from Allah, and He would have pardoned them. [Sahih Muslim, Book 50: Repentance, Hadith 13]
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “If you were to commit sin until your sins reach the heaven, then you were to repent, your repentance would be accepted.” [Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 37: Zuhd, Hadith 149, Grade: Hasan]
Anas bin Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Allah, Blessed is He and Most High, said: ‘O son of Adam! Verily as long as you called upon Me and hoped in Me, I forgave you, despite whatever may have occurred from you, and I did not mind. O son of Adam! Were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky, then you sought forgiveness from Me, I would forgive you, and I would not mind. So son of Adam! If you came to me with sins nearly as great as the earth, and then you met Me not associating anything with Me, I would come to you with forgiveness nearly as great as it.’” [Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Book 48: Supplication, Hadith 171, Grade: Hasan]
It was narrated from Anas that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Every son of Adam commits sin, and the best of those who commit sin are those who repent.’” [Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 37: Zuhd, Hadith 152, Grade: Hasan]
It was narrated that Ibn Ma’qil said: “I entered with my father upon ‘Abdullah, and I heard him say: ‘The messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Regret is repentance.” My father said: ‘Did you hear the Prophet (ﷺ) say: “Regret is repentance?” He said: ‘Yes.’” [Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 37: Zuhd, Hadith 153, Grade: Hasan]
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that : the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'I seek the forgiveness of Allah and repent to Him one hundred times each day.' [Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 37: Zuhd, Hadith 159, Grade: Hasan]
Ibn `Umar narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Indeed Allah accepts the repentance of a slave as long as (his soul does not reach his throat).” [Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Book 48: Supplication, Hadith 168, Grade: Hasan]
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said: I live in the thought of My servant and I am with him as he remembers Me. (The Holy Prophet) further said: By Allah, Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than what one of you would do on finding the lost camel in the waterless desert. When he draws near Me by the span of his hand. I draw near him by the length of a cubit and when he draws near Me by the length of a cubit. I draw near him by the length of a fathom and when he draws near Me walking I draw close to him hurriedly. [Sahih Muslim, Book 50: Repentance, Hadith 1]
It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'When one of you enters the mosque, he is in a state of prayer, so long as the prayer keeps him there, and the angels will send prayer upon anyone of you so long as he remains in the place where he prayed, saying: "O Allah, forgive him; O Allah, have mercy on him; O Allah, accept his repentance," so long as he does not commit Hadath nor disturb anyone.'" [Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 4: The Mosques And The Congregations, Hadith 65, Grade: Sahih]
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira: A fornicator who fornicates is not a believer as long as he commits fornication, and no one who steals is a believer as long as he commits theft, and no one who drinks wine is a believer as long as he drinks it, and repentance may be accepted after that. [Sahih Muslim, Book 1: Faith, Hadith 114]
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said: "A man from among the Ansar accepted Islam, then he apostatized and went back to Shirk. Then he regretted that, and sent word to his people (saying): 'Ask the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), is there any repentance for me?' His people came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: 'So and so regrets (what he did), and he has told us to ask you if there is any repentance for him?' Then the Verses: 'How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their Belief up to His saying: Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful' was revealed. So he sent word to him, and he accepted Islam." [Sunan an-Nasa'i, Book 37: Fighting (The Prohibition of Bloodshed), Hadith 103, Grade: Sahih]
Malik related to me from Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abd al-Qari that his father said, "A man came to Umar ibn al- Khattab from Abu Musa al-Ashari. Umar asked after various people, and he informed him. Then Umar inquired, 'Do you have any recent news?' He said, 'Yes. A man has become a kafir (disbeliever) after his Islam.' Umar asked, 'What have you done with him?' He said, 'We let him approach and struck off his head.' Umar said, 'Didn't you imprison him for three days and feed him a loaf of bread every day and call on him to tawba (repentance) that he might turn in tawba (repentance) and return to the command of Allah?' Then Umar said, 'O Allah! I was not present and I did not order it and I am not pleased since it has come to me!' " [Muwatta Malik, Book 36: Judgements, Hadith 16]
Narrated Al-Aswad: While we were sitting in a circle in `Abdullah's gathering, Hudhaifa came and stopped before us, and greeted us and then said, "People better than you became hypocrites." Al-Aswad said: I testify the uniqueness of Allah! Allah says: "Verily! The hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire." (4.145) On that `Abdullah smiled and Hudhaifa sat somewhere in the Mosque. `Abdullah then got up and his companions (sitting around him) dispersed. Hudhaifa then threw a pebble at me (to attract my attention). I went to him and he said, "I was surprised at `Abdullah's smile though he understood what I said. Verily, people better than you became hypocrite and then repented and Allah forgave them." [Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 65: Prophetic Commentary on the Qur'an (Tafseer of the Prophet (pbuh)), Hadith 124]
It is narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that some persons amongst the polytheist had committed a large number of murders and had excessively indulged in fornication. Then they came to Muhammad (ﷺ) and said: Whatever you assert and whatever you call to is indeed good. But if you inform us that there is atonement of our past deeds (then we would embrace Islam). Then it was revealed: And those who call not unto another god along with Allah and slay not any soul which Allah has forbidden except in the cause of justice, nor commit fornication; and he who does this shall meet the requital of sin. Multiplied for him shall be the torment on the Day of Resurrection, and he shall therein abide disgraced, except him who repents a believes and does good deeds. Then these! for the Allah shall change their vices into virtues. Verily Allah is Ever Forgiving, Merciful (xxv. 68-70). Say thou: O my bondsmen woo have committed extravagance against themselves despair not of the Mercy of Allah I Verily Allah will forgive the sins altogether. He is indeed the Forgiving, the Merciful (###ix. 53). [Sahih Muslim, Book 1: Faith, Hadith 229]
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: There was a person before you who had killed ninety-nine persons and then made an inquiry about the learned persons of the world (who could show him the way to salvation). He was directed to a monk. He came to him and told him that he had killed ninety-nine persons and asked him whether there was any scope for his repentance to be accepted. He said: No. He killed him also and thus completed one hundred. He then asked about the learned persons of the earth and he was directed to a scholar, and he told him that he had killed one hundred persons and asked him whether there was any scope for his repentance to be accepted. He said: Yes; what stands between you and the repentance? You better go to such and such land; there are people devoted to prayer and worship and you also worship along with them and do not come to the land of yours since it was an evil land (for you). So he went away and he had hardly covered half the distance when death came to him and there was a dispute between the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment. The angels of mercy said: This man has come as a penitent and remorseful to Allah and the angels of punishment said: He has done no good at all. Then there came another angel in the form of a human being in order to decide between them. He said: You measure the land to which he has drawn near. They measured it and found him nearer to the land where he intended to go (the land of piety), and so the angels of mercy took possession of it. Qatada said that Hasan told him that it was said to them that as death approached him, he crawled upon his chest (and managed) to slip in the land of mercy. [Sahih Muslim, Book 50: Repentance, Hadith 54]
Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Amongst the men of Bani Israel there was a man who had murdered ninety-nine persons. Then he set out asking (whether his repentance could be accepted or not). He came upon a monk and asked him if his repentance could be accepted. The monk replied in the negative and so the man killed him. He kept on asking till a man advised to go to such and such village. (So he left for it) but death overtook him on the way. While dying, he turned his chest towards that village (where he had hoped his repentance would be accepted), and so the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment quarrelled amongst themselves regarding him. Allah ordered the village (towards which he was going) to come closer to him, and ordered the village (whence he had come), to go far away, and then He ordered the angels to measure the distances between his body and the two villages. So he was found to be one span closer to the village (he was going to). So he was forgiven." [Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 60: Prophets, Hadith 137]
Anas (RA) narrated: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would often say: Ya Muqallibal-qulub, thabbit qalbi 'ala dinik ('O Changer of the Hearts! Strengthen my heart upon Your Religion.)' So I said: 'O Prophet of Allah! We believe in you and what you have come with, but do you fear for us?' He said: 'Yes. Indeed the hearts are between two Fingers of Allah's Fingers, He changes them as He wills.'" [Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Book 32: Al-Qadar, Hadith 8]
It was narrated that Ibn `Umar said: "We used to count that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said one hundred times in a gathering: 'Rabbighfirli wa tub `alayya innaka Antat-Tawwabur-Rahim (O Allah forgive me and accept my repentance, for You are the Accepter of repentance, the Most Merciful).'" [Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 33: Etiquette, Hadith 158, Grade: Sahih]
Narrated Salman al-Farsi: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Your Lord is munificent and generous, and is ashamed to turn away empty the hands of His servant when he raises them to Him. [Sunan Abi Dawud, Book 8: Prayer, Hadith 73, Grade: Sahih]
Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "None of you should wish for death because of a calamity befalling him; but if he has to wish for death, he should say: "O Allah! Keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and let me die if death is better for me.' " [Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 75: Patients, Hadith 31]
Safwan b. Muhriz reported that a person said to Ibn 'Umar: How did you hear Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying something about intimate conversation? He said: I heard him say: A believer will be brought to his Lord, the Exalted and Glorious, on the Day of Resurrection and He would place upon him His veil (of Light) and make him confess his faults and say: Do you recognise (your faults)? He would say: My Lord, I do recognise (them). He (the Lord) would say: I concealed them for you in the world. And today I forgive them. And he would then be given the Book containing (the account of his) good deeds. And so far as the non-believers and hypocrites are concerned, there would be general announcement about them before all creation telling them that these (people, i. e. non-believers and hypocrites) told a lie about Allah. [Sahih Muslim, Book 50: Repentance, Hadith 61]
May Allah swt grant us guidance and forgiveness. Ameen.
Jazakallahu Khair
